Ashgrove Community College offered strong programs and real career outcomes but the website buried both behind a confusing menu and an application process nobody could find. Here’s what changed when we redesigned it around the one decision that actually matters: whether to apply.
The Challenge
Ashgrove Community College had real outcomes to point to graduates moving into stable careers, transfer agreements with four-year schools, completion rates above the state average. None of it showed up on the website. Program pages were outdated or missing, admissions requirements were scattered across PDFs, and the apply button itself was buried behind a menu most visitors never opened. For a prospective student comparing three or four schools in one sitting, every one of those gaps was a reason to move on to the next tab instead of applying. The redesign wasn’t about looking more modern it was about making it obvious what to do next.
Generic, outdated design that hadn’t changed since the last accreditation cycle.
Built a complete visual identity around the college’s actual outcomes and campus life, not a shared template.
Site finally looks like a school worth applying to.
Apply button buried, and inconsistent from page to page.
One clear, persistent apply path from every page on the site.
Online applications started up 57%.
Program and course pages outdated, inconsistent, or missing entirely.
Rebuilt every program page on one consistent template, led with career outcomes.
Program page engagement up 41%.
Admissions requirements scattered across PDFs instead of the page where people are deciding.
Brought requirements, deadlines, and costs directly onto each program page.
Fewer admissions-office calls asking questions the site should already answer.
No clear answer to “what am I actually qualified for after this program?”
Added outcome data completion rates, transfer paths, career placement to every program page.
Program pages became the most-visited pages on the site.
Site looked fine on desktop, broke down on mobile, where most prospective students actually browse.
Rebuilt every page mobile-first, including the application flow itself.
Mobile bounce rate down 33%.
Every department’s page looked like it was built by a different team.
Rolled out one unified design system across every department and program.
One consistent, recognizable brand sitewide.
The Approach
Reviewed every existing page and drop-off point, and talked to admissions and faculty about the outcomes the old site wasn’t showing.
Built a distinct visual language photography, color, and type instead of the outdated, shared-template look.
Restructured navigation and content around “which program is right for me” and “how do I apply,” not the college’s internal department structure.
Rebuilt every page mobile-first and streamlined the application flow for a phone screen.
Trained admissions and department staff to update program pages themselves no developer needed for day-to-day updates.
The Work
The Results
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online applications startednew applicant sessions | baseline | +57% | +57% |
| Program page engagementtime spent on program pages | baseline | +41% | +41% |
| Homepage bounce ratevisitors leaving without exploring | 58% | 39% | −33% |
| Clicks to start an applicationhomepage to application form | 5 clicks | 2 clicks | −60% |
| Average page load timeacross all devices | 4.3s | 1.7s | −60% |
| Mobile session lengthtime spent on site, mobile only | baseline | ~1.7x | +70% |
| Admissions-office phone inquiriesbasic questions the site now answers | baseline | −30% | −30% |
Built to earn the trust an application actually requires
In Their Words
“Prospective students used to ask us questions our own website should have answered. Now they show up to a tour already knowing they want to apply.”Dean of Enrollment, Ashgrove Community College
What's Included
Tell us where prospective students are hesitating before they ever apply and we'll tell you honestly whether a redesign is what fixes it.
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